


Mirrors are Gateways, as are Eyes

by Arrias_Enigmatic



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Blood, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Gore, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, I Freaked Out So Many People On Discord When Posting Snippits and Talking About THAT ONE SCENE, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild In Previous Tag Is For Comfort, Psychological Horror, Spooky Happenings, Tails Has A Bad Time, Triple S Have An EVEN WORSE Time, We Have A Bad Time In A House of Mirrors, hall of mirrors, you'll know when you read
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:15:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26652028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arrias_Enigmatic/pseuds/Arrias_Enigmatic
Summary: Hall of Mirrors were fun to play in, just ask Paradox and his lil' bro Tails!!Wait, that wasn't right.
Relationships: Miles "Tails" Prower & Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog & Silver the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog & Silver the Hedgehog & Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog & Sonic the Hedgehog, Silver the Hedgehog & Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 1
Kudos: 29





	Mirrors are Gateways, as are Eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tharkflark1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tharkflark1/gifts), [stagemanager](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stagemanager/gifts).



> Hoooooo this one was so much fun to write!!  
> This is for Tharkflark1 and stagemanager, based on Thark's character Paradox the Hedgehog, who has their own story here on AO3 titled "A Problem of Paradoxical Proportions"!! It's an excellent read, go check it out!!  
> This story isn't as long as "Gifts from Father", but it's still a favorite! 
> 
> In depth warnings:
> 
> -Body Horror  
> -Blood (red and green) and gore  
> -Minor emetophobia  
> -Scoptophobia/Scopophobia

"C'mon Tails, I know you're in here! You can't hide from m-!" The multicolored hedgehog slammed face first into the mirror as he rounded the corner. "Ah right, mirrors. Too many mirrors. Why did we decide to go into the Hall of Mirrors?"

To be honest, Paradox didn't remember how the brother-duo got into the Hall of Mirrors. They'd decided to head to Twinkle Park after their latest defeat of Eggman. All the rides offered excitement, and they did deliver (except for the rollercoaster. Tails' stomach had no mercy after eating 10 clouds of cotton candy). They went to game booths afterwards, having a small army of plushies to show for their victory.

They even had some knockoff plushies of Paradox! Though they got the eye color wrong, his weren't pale ice blue.

The Hall of Mirrors caught the kit's eye on their way to the next booth. Paradox said a cheesy one liner-

It was blank after that.

Like he just woke up in the reflective halls, already searching for his brother.

Paradox shook his head, rubbing at the stinging in his forehead, already turning down the opposite hall. 

"Tails, I freaking swear this is the last time we head into this thing." Paradox stomped down the hall, agitated despite being in the building for only-

How long was he in here?

The blue hedgehog stopped abruptly. Why did that question make him pause? Shaking his head, he continued his walk. 

"Okay, think positive Paradox. Tails probably found the exit already! He could be waiting for you, and once you leave, we can go get chili dogs, put on some whip cream and hot sauce, yeah, that'd be good! Pretty weird though, I've never had a chili dog. I don't even like them. Why would I-" 

His body felt as if it was being torn in three. Although he couldn't see it through his squeezed shut eyelids, he could _feel_ a force trying to push out of his chest. Clawing feverishly in desperation, writhing in agony.

Boot-clad legs came out from under him, face rushing to meet the floor. Thankfully his outstretched arms stopped himself before an actual faceplant could occur. Oh how Faker hated those.

Wait, faker-?

"Paradox!" 

He turned his head, seeing Tails at the end of the hall. He smiled at the welcoming sight, the pain gone.

"Hey there! Sorry, got a little lost with all these faces of mine staring at me. You found the exit?" Tail shook his head.

"No, not yet, but I believe the room I'm in is the center. From there we could figure out where to go."

Paradox walked towards the reflection, rubbing the inhibitor rings around his wrists, a slight hunch in his posture. Something about the halls- no, about the mirrors felt… off to him. He looked around, pausing for a second, before continuing to the two-tailed fox.

He failed to notice how a few mirrors back his reflection walked upright, smiling as it followed.

After a bit of trial and error with directions, Paradox arrived in a circular room adorned with the same mirrors as the rest of the building, albeit they covered the whole room top to bottom. (Whoever put mirrors on the floor might not have thought it through, although it was neat.) Paradox looked around the room, the sight of himself staring back doing little to ease his nerves.

"So this is the center of the building. They were kind enough to label the entrance and exit on case someone got turned around too many times." Tails made a point to look directly at his brother as he said this. "Based on the map near the entrance, there are three routes past the doorway…" 

Paradox's attention was drawn somewhere else. Specifically, to three mirrors near the door labeled " _Do Not Enter"_. It was barely noticeable from the other side of the room, but as he hesitantly walked up, he could see the issue with the reflections. 

On the left, his eyes were golden yellow, shining with kindness and determination. The middle held emerald green, friendly but strong. The right and final one glowed with brilliant red, a show of power and trust.

They were too familiar, but so distant he couldn't name who they belonged to. He reached out, fingers connecting to the edges, contacting them.

"Who are you?" The voices were barely a whisper.

"Hey Paradox!" Tails' voice snapped him from out of the trance that claimed him, turning around to face the fox.

"Yeah lil' bro?" 

"I figured out 3 routes to follow. We just gotta figure out each one to take based on time."

"L-let's go with the shortest. I'm ready to try that _Viper_ ride we saw on the way over." He casted a glance back to the mirrors- tri-colored eyes stared back.

"Alrighty bro, that's _theAAAAAAAAA-_ "

Paradox whipped around, stepping back at the sight.

Tails gripped on the mirror's edge for his life- which most certainly was the case. Behind the young inventor, the crude reflection of him held Tails in a death grip, relentlessly pulling him _into_ the mirror. Tears were filling the frightened sky blue eyes, crying out for his brother to save him from the horror.

"PARADOX HELP ME!"

In an instant the hedgehog raced to his brother- only to find the room stretched as he sped. He tried Chaos Control, only to end up in the same spot. Telekinesis wasn't helpful either, something was pushing back with equal force. So he broke the sound barrier.

The room still stretched, but it couldn't keep up with his velocity. 

"Tails, I got you!" He reached for his family.

Tails had his grip removed by the reflection.

**_"SONIC!"_ **

The black haze swallowed his screaming brother.

Paradox crashed into the mirror. Somehow it didn't shatter from the force.

After laying dazed for a moment, Paradox bolted upright. He pressed his face flush against the cold surface, desperately looking for any way to pass through and save his family. 

The bag of discarded prize plushies caught his eye.

He knew these people.

A scowling black hedgehog with brilliant red eyes. A smiling grey hedgehog with gold eyes. A smirking blue hedgehog with emerald green eyes.

_But who were they?_

"New plan- get out and find some help. Demonic mirrors are not my area of expertise, I need someone who has that. Maybe that Kirby fellow co-" 

The exit was a mirror. 

"...That wasn't there before." He turned around, intending on heading for someone, he didn't care who.

Icy blue stared back at him from the door.

Paradox paused, pure shock written over his features. 

The anomaly blankly stared back.

It stepped forward. The other reflections followed the same straight path.

To Paradox.

He twisted his body around, scanning each mirror. All around the same being faced him in that dead stare, still in their slow march to him. It was him, wasn't it? Why was his face stuck like that? Why were his eyes pale like ice? Who was that? That wasn't him, that isn't _them-_

His body ignited in agony once more, this time he could actually _see_ his body.

Why was it splitting? Oh dear Chaos it was actually _splitting._ Paradox watched through the mirrors as lines of red bled through skin and fur, pouring out of him in rivers, clutching him with icy weight. White gloves flew up, gripping into red stained flesh as he desperately tried to hold himself together. Tri-colored eyes flew around the reflections as if they held answers to this nightmare. 

He lurched forward, choking out two different colors of blood, toxic green and bright red. Even through the fluid he could still see- and feel, oh the pain would never truly go away- his chest writhing as what was violently attempting to escape grew stronger with its attempts. 

_It was tearing itself apart._

No. _Tearing themselves out._

Three different top halves burst from Paradox's front, red and green blood and pink flesh flying out. Eyes wide in shocked pain, he could only watch as they writhed, pushing each other off and away in desperation. It wouldn't be easy, despite splitting from him, they still were fused together.

A black hedgehog adorned with red stripes pulled away from the right, green blood oozing between the torn flesh and mixing with red as he clawed out from his- their- _its_ body. He reached for something- anything to latch onto, scowling with agony. His face was half fused with the center hedgehog, teeth bleeding into the peach muzzle.

The blue hedgehog in the middle tried to push the other divisions away, in an attempt to help them, or itself, unclear. But based on the way it casted worried glances at the other two suggested the former. Emerald green bled into red irises, staring ats each other with stretched pupils.

The white hedgehog screeched as they feverishly pulled themself out and away from the ones attached to them. They were terrified, a cyan glow flickering around them as they tried to lift themself out. His arms squelched as they feebly tried to pull away from the blue, attached to a peach arm and black back quills. A long head quill had managed to tear out of a blue one, but the others remained fused.

He could hear the horror as they feverishly attempted to pull apart, wet tears and horrified whimpering echoing off the mirrors. He arched backwards, too numb to do much else but watch as they pulled away to escape out of him.

Out of him? They were trying to get out of him? Why were they in him? He was Paradox, how could he have others inside him he was only one person this didn't make any _sense they were stuck together get them out they're not supposed to be like this the mirrors are closing in get me out I don't like this place get me out get me OUT_ **_GET ME OUT_ ** **_LET US OUT-_ **

Paradox stared blankly as blood dribbled out past his lips, bright red mixing with toxic green. He came back from the numbness as he felt his body tilt backwards.

The mirror that sat behind the writhing forced fusion had that same blank face pressed right against his. 

The glass wasn't there.

Paradox felt two freezing hands lay gently on the side of their head, pulling them in.

"LET ME OUT." 

They all screamed.

The anomaly pulled them in, and they fell. As they plummeted amongst broken shards and cracked mirrors, the fusion pulled itself apart with wet tears and splatters of red and green. Blood painted them all, splattering their fur and falling surfaces, but the three didn't care. 

_They were out._

Paradox knew them.

Sonic. 

Shadow.

Silver.

How could they forget each other?

The trio reached for one another, gripping into fur and skin to not lose the other, to comfort them in this horror.

Paradox watched them from afar, yet could see through their eyes. And they could see through his.

An intact mirror, identical to the one in the halls, fell in sync with them.

The only difference was the ice staring back at all four, smiling with that same false smile.

**_"YOU'RE NOT ME!"_ **

Paradox cracked the mirror with their scream.

Staring back at them was the shattered amalgamation of their being.

Sonic. Shadow. Silver. 

Paradox. 

Chaos. 

Calamity. 

They reached up to their eyes, pressing the finger flush against the sclera, red and green caking their fingers as they started to dig, to pull out what _wasn't_ , what _isn't them._

In the center, still smiling, the anomaly.

**_"NO!"_ **

All four, with bloody fingers, shattered the mirror in unison.

"OW!" 

They drew their hand back, pressing into the fresh wounds on their knuckles. 

In the mindscape, the trio felt themselves slam into the grass. Immediately they casted one glance at each other, before dashing over to the thrumming control panel.

"Okay, guys, tell me that wasn't real."  Silver casted a glance to the others as he placed his hands on the control panel, a golden glow pouring over the white. 

"It certainly felt real, but it could be a pseudo-lucid dream."  Shadow curled a finger over his lips in thought, looking around the swaying grass and drifting clouds as if they held the answers.

"Ho-kay, weird dreams are-a happening. This might just be because of the fact there are three people in one body because of a failed magic trick? Yeah, okay?"  Sonic's smile had the kind of strain only those trying not to freak out- or hide the fact they broke a 4th window- had. 

"Sonic,"  bright gold turned to electric blue.  "Stay calm, okay? It's probably just a dream like you said-" 

"I am calm, we just had a dream that felt way too real with whatever _that_ was. We felt ourselves go down and hit the ground before we could see, that's 100% normal in a field in the center of our combined mindspace. You calm down! Look at me, I'm the pinnacle of calm!" Sonic ran circles around the control panel. 

He was stopped by an outstretched ruby red arm.

"We will get nowhere if we keep dwelling on it. There have been instances where people feel actual sensations during or after they awoke from the dream. _That's all it was. A dream, nothing more or less._ "

Shadow didn't know if it was a fact or something he said to comfort himself.

Sonic removed himself from the ground, standing beside Silver as the psychokinetic moved his hands around the control panel.

They blinked past the grimace, taking in the sight before them.

Towels on the back of the door, shower curtain drawn back, shaggy bath mat, shelves with soap and fur wash-

Oh, the bathroom. 

They woke up and needed to clean off the food stains littering their fur.

They were looking at the mirror when they felt a haze overcome their senses.

The fusion looked back into the mirror as they rose from their hunched position. It's shattered surface stared back at them.

But they only saw the features of their fused body.

No smiling anomaly.

With a shake of their head, they turned out of the bathroom, not bothering to flip off the switch.

They shuffled to Tails' room, intent on informing him of the late night impromptu rock 'em sock 'em match. 

They failed to notice the reflection still in the mirror, staring at them as they disappeared around the door frame.

It smiled as it walked away a moment later. 

**Author's Note:**

> So did you like how I pulled a Soul Eater with the Triple S?  
> There was a scene I drew heavy inspiration from, where Soul bursts out of Maka's chest during a dream. I added the body horror and gore.
> 
> I wonder, just who was with the Triple S?
> 
> As before, the art here is is 100% mine, and I love the effects I managed to get with playing around with filters.
> 
> Thank you to TheMostMysteriousOne for beta reading!!!


End file.
